Category: crime & punishment

Deep fake sex images are now the biggest story in South Korea and it is problem that is going to be highly difficult stop due to the spread of AI technology that makes this possible:

 Police will carry out an intensive crackdown on deepfake sex images as a recent series of such crimes stoked fears that any woman could fall victim, officials said Tuesday.

During the seven-month crackdown set to begin Wednesday, police will aggressively hunt down those who produce and spread such images, especially those of children and teens, the National Police Agency said.

According to the police agency, 297 cases of deepfake sexual exploitation crimes were reported nationwide from January and July. Among 178 people charged, 73.6 percent, or 113 individuals, were known to be teenagers. 

Political parties and rights groups also called for stern punishment and an active investigation.

“Fear is growing, with nearly 220,000 members estimated to have participated in these deepfake porn chat rooms on Telegram,” said Son Sol, a co-chair of the minor opposition Progressive Party’s task force on the issue.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link, but the AI deep fakes have also been linked to the ROK Army with a chatroom that specializes in passing images of female Soldiers as well. It makes me wonder how long before this becomes a problem in the U.S. military as well?

Another sign that Korea’s drug problem continues to spread:

Members of a college social club comprising hundreds of members from South Korea’s 13 colleges, including the nation’s most prestigious schools like Seoul National University and Korea University, administer drugs at an amusement park. (Seoul Southern District Prosecutors’ Office)

A 30-something graduate student at KAIST, South Korea’s top science-specialized university, was recently arrested by the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors’ Office for distributing and using drugs within a social fraternity he created in 2021 which included members from 13 other elite universities.

Three other university students were also apprehended, and two others were indicted without physical detention for breaching the Narcotics Control Act. Eight other students who took drugs but were not suspected of other offenses were granted deferred prosecution on condition they participated in a rehabilitation program.

Korea Herald

You can read more at the link.

Here is another example of a U.S. Soldier being a drunken idiot in Seoul:

Police in South Korea arrested a U.S service member earlier this month on suspicion of brandishing a knife and scissors inside a pub in Seoul. The unidentified troop’s charges — intimidation and obstruction of business — were referred to prosecutors on Tuesday, a Mapo Police detective told Stars and Stripes by phone that day. The detective did not release the service member’s branch of service or his name.

South Korean law enforcement agencies typically do not identify suspects unless charged with a serious crime, and officials regularly speak to the media on a customary condition of anonymity. Police responded around 7:15 a.m. July 5 to a disturbance call saying a person had a deadly weapon inside a pub in Mapo District, the detective said. Mapo is a popular area of Seoul known for its numerous bars and nightclubs.

The service member, who is stationed at Camp Casey, a U.S. Army outpost 13 miles south of the Demilitarized Zone that separates North Korea from South Korea, entered the pub alone and went inside the kitchen, where he picked up a knife and scissors, according to the detective. He proceeded to the dining area and made a “stabbing motion with his hands, but did not stab himself,” the detective said.

The pub’s patrons fled outside but the service member did not explicitly threaten them, according to the detective. The service member was arrested without incident and taken to Mapo Police Station, where he was later picked up by U.S. military police, the detective said. No injuries were reported.

Stars & Stripes

You can read more at the link.

I am not sure how someone would be able to catch this guy as long as he remains in North Korea:

 The United States offered Thursday to provide a reward of up to US$10 million for information on a North Korean cyber actor targeting America’s critical infrastructure, as it strives to prevent Pyongyang’s ability to generate revenue through illicit means to fund its weapons programs.

The State Department announced the reward, accusing Rim Jong-hyok — a North Korean national associated with a cyber group known as Andariel — and others of being involved in malicious cyberactivities targeting U.S. hospitals, government entities, defense contractors and others.

U.S. law enforcement investigators have documented that Andariel actors victimized five healthcare providers, four U.S.-based defense contractors, two U.S. Air Force bases and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, according to the department.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

It is amazing how much money this guy made in just four years selling college entrance exam questions. It makes me wonder how many other teachers are doing this that have not been caught?:

Police have referred an incumbent high school teacher to the prosecution for making college entrance exam questions and selling them to a private cram school for some 250 million won ($ 180,072) over the course of four years, officials said Monday.

The National Office of Investigation (NOI) under the National Police Agency said it has booked 69 people and referred 24 of them initially to the prosecution as part of investigations into the collusive “cartel” ties between public and private education sectors.

A total of 24 such cases are under investigation, officials said.

Korea Times

You can read more at the link.

It looks like there may soon be a plea deal for the dumb ass Soldier who ran into North Korea last year:

The first court appearance of a Fort Bliss soldier charged with desertion for running into North Korea last year has been postponed, according to the soldier’s attorney. Pvt. Travis King, 24, faces eight charges, including desertion, assault and soliciting child sexual abuse material. Attorneys are negotiating a possible plea agreement, said Frank Rosenblatt, the attorney for King. “These negotiations, I believe, will meet both the needs of Pvt. King and the Army to resolve this case,” Rosenblatt said Monday. “It does appear that because of that, the Article 32 hearing may no longer be necessary.”

Stars & Stripes

You can read more at the link.